Liquor sales spike in light of pending storm

Shawn McKeever, an employee at Fleming Place Wine & Spirits in Topeka, stocks the shelves on a busy Saturday.

A map released Saturday by the National Weather Service in Topeka shows area snowfall estimates.

When Scott Gingrich swung by Fleming Place Wine & Spirits on Saturday afternoon, he wasn’t stocking up — he lives too close for that to be necessary.

“If it gets that deep, and I can’t get out, I’ll walk,” he said, laughing.

Saturday sales at Topeka liquor stores were, in a word, “crazy.” Liquor store employees all over Topeka told the same story: Sales spiked Friday evening and Saturday morning, with most customers citing the pending storm for their extra bottle or two.

“They’re saying they need to stock up because they know they’ll be stuck inside for two days,” said Shawn McKeever, an employee at the Fleming Place store, 4001 S.W. 10th Ave.

Meteorologists on Saturday afternoon were calling for 6-plus inches of snow to hit the Interstate 70 corridor within the next 24 hours — the axis of heavier snowbands somewhat centered through Council Grove, Topeka and Lawrence.

The capital city had been only dusted with snow as of 9 p.m., but snowfall rates were picking up. Local National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Whitmore said the heaviest snow — likely coupled with pockets of sleet that were falling further west near Council Grove and Salina — was to drop between midnight and mid-Sunday morning, with snow lingering into the afternoon.

About 3 to 5 inches of snow was expected during the peak time frame, with another inch to 3 inches possible after noon.

Whitmore said the dry, powdery snow would drift and blow around in windy conditions that will help plummet air into arctic bitterness.

The wind chill was expected to bring the 5-degree temperatures down to minus 20 Sunday and Monday, said Chad Omitt, a meteorologist with the weather service in Topeka. Omitt warned Topekans to be prepared for a half foot of snow “because you might get more.”

“This is going to be one of our coldest storms in years,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to be outside in this storm. It’s going to be awful.”

In preparation for the storm, the city of Topeka announced Saturday it would implement a new residential snow plan, should the capital get more than 4 inches. The new plan is expected to cut three days from the city’s response, putting the estimate to complete the plan at six days.

The plan involves clearing and plowing emergency and primary routes first, and clearing downtown all at once.

This time, crews will begin clearing all residential streets immediately after — catching secondary roadways contained within residential areas.

“This action should save crews approximately three days of time, resulting in a quicker clearing of residential streets,” a news release stated

Finally, crews will plow curb to curb — vehicles permitting — to allow for access to mailboxes and two-way travel.

Such high-priority calls as medically necessary appointments should be directed to the street maintenance department, (785) 368-3803. All other calls or Topeka e311 requests will be addressed as soon as possible.

The city Saturday also mobilized a crew to treat slick roads caused by freezing rain.

The city received some criticism for its response to the last major snowstorm, which dumped 12.9 inches on Feb. 4. City manager Jim Colson acknowledged Feb. 11 a lot of Topekans feel the city didn’t serve them well, but said he was working with the public works and legal departments to ensure residents would be served better in the future.

The pending storm comes just in time for Severe Weather Awareness Week, which starts Monday.

The National Weather Service and a crew of meteorologists, media and emergency management partners from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday staked out the foyer of West Ridge Mall, 1801 S.W. Wanamaker, to promote preparedness and awareness in light of the pending severe weather season.

Grocery stores from Wal-Marts and Hy-Vee to Dillons and National Grocers were full of customers most of the day Saturday, with reports as early as 1 p.m. of shortages on bread and milk. McKeever wasn’t too upset his small parking lot next to Dillons in Fleming Place was full with grocery shoppers. Some swung by the liquor store on their way back to the car, he said.

McKeever said Saturday morning sales were at least twice as high as normal, though he expected sales to drop off toward the late afternoon as people starting to hunker down for the storm and night of basketball.